


Smells like (War's coming)

by SwimmingTiger



Category: star stable wild west au
Genre: Other, Westerns, brothel life, hooker with a heart of gold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 03:39:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14347206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwimmingTiger/pseuds/SwimmingTiger
Summary: Goings on at the Calico, once all hell breaks loose....warnings for gun use, graphic (?) violence, blood shed (It didn't start out that way but somehow it managed to get there!) Put a warning for rape, as its attempted but no actual rape occurs.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Act II: Under the Thunder](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13909176) by [Burgie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie), [ClaraDiamondsong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaraDiamondsong/pseuds/ClaraDiamondsong), [clightlee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clightlee/pseuds/clightlee), [copperheadpony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/copperheadpony/pseuds/copperheadpony), [eyeskillercold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyeskillercold/pseuds/eyeskillercold), [NumiTuziNeru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NumiTuziNeru/pseuds/NumiTuziNeru), [Shadowlord13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowlord13/pseuds/Shadowlord13), [SwimmingTiger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwimmingTiger/pseuds/SwimmingTiger), [willownorthbook](https://archiveofourown.org/users/willownorthbook/pseuds/willownorthbook), [ZDusk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZDusk/pseuds/ZDusk), [Zebrablanket](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zebrablanket/pseuds/Zebrablanket). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (The song setting the mood is the version of Smells like Teen Spirit by the inimitable Patty Smith.) 
> 
> Wherein Miranda catches wind of the army coming to town and she and her girls take it upon themselves to thin the herd.

_Load up on guns, bring your friends. It's fun to lose and to pretend_

 

The madame stood in the Calicos safe room. It was mostly dark paneled within, and though from the outside there was a cheery paisley curtain in the window, on the inside a steel panel closed it off. Behind a cupboard, on the floor, was a cut out, and a ladder lead down to a hall. One wall of that hall slid open into the library, from behind a shelf. There were no lights immediately in the safe room. It was laid out in a way so that if a confused intruder did get beyond the locked door, they'd find a dark and gloomy storage space, and usually they'd turn around and look for another, happier room. Preferably one with a girl in it. 

The Madame had built the room with the notion that should the girls find themselves in a sticky spot, they could come here and either escape through the hole in the floor, which led to a chute to the basement, which had a hidden tunnel that would lead half a mile to relative safety OR

They could arm themselves and fight.

The Madame presented herself as a positive person, and encouraged smiles and a sunny outlook with her patrons and her girls. But she was aware of the darkness in mens hearts. From personal experience, from an upbringing where she witnessed the hatred her family encountered from being born on the wrong side of an invented border, and from the early days of the brothel when the cowboys and wranglers and outlaws came from out of town and treated the girls with disregard and disrespect. She strove to lay down rules, and show her own power, in order to make sure her girls did not suffer abuses. She designed the house to be the safest haven possible for the young ladies in her care. It held secrets, passages, trap doors- some the girls were aware of, some only the Madame could detect, and even then only in desperate and hopeless hours.

She hoped this was not that hour.

Madame looked over at Jun, who was assessing their armory with dismay.

“Most of your guns are small and decorative, good for one or two shots. We should save them for last resorts.” Jun explained. “Place the rifles on the roof. We can empty them before anyone could even reach whom ever is up there. Of the girls I trained, Leona and Martine had the best long range shots.”

“What about knives.”

At this Jun's eyes glinted. “I can strap a dozen knives to each of us by nightfall. I have hunting knives, I have hatchets, I have sharpened hatpins. We can sharpen all the keys down if you would like. My only concern is an enemy grabbing one and using it against us.”

“That is not the outcome I am aiming towards.” The Madame muttered.

“Then, my suggestion is to play to each girls strength.” said Jun, nodding sagely.

 

_She's overboard and self-assured. Oh no, I know a dirty word_

 

Magdalene's room was lined with a black and white pinstriped wall paper. The bed was covered with a crazy quilt in dark velvets. She had a dressing table, but it was loaded down with beakers, bottles and spirits. Dried herbs hung from the window sill, and formulas written on papers were stuck to the wall with gum paste. A shelf was cluttered with even more pots, mason jars full of pastes and powders, and the odd stuffed doll. Next to the bed was a single candelabra and a small, carved, winged animal, brightly painted with dots in a dozen colors.

The Madame stood at the door with her arms folded. Jun stood beside her, dressed now in trousers and a mens button down shirt. Two colt pistols sat in twin holsters at the belt around her slim hips. She nodded to Magdalene to show the Madame what they had to offer.

Mags had tied her wild black hair back, and it lay in a fat plait down her back. She pointed to various bottles and demonstrated quickly how to hold a cloth dampened with a liquid to a mans face to cause sleep. Jun showed how a small amount of a liquid could create an explosion. They, of course, went out to the yard for that. The tiny bang was hidden under a clap of thunder.

“It can be hidden in perfume bottles.” Magdalene explained to the Madame as they walked back up to her laboratory. 

“May I recommend that we use mine outdoors, and only if being pursued.” Jun added.

“Excellent work. Just use the glass shit. Not my cut crystal.” The Madame murmured. She excused herself, and knocked on the next door, where she was invited in by a soft voice.

Delphine was sitting in a robins egg blue nest of velvet. The walls, the chaise lounge, the bed spread- all the same pale blue and lit by dozens of candles. Her long tangled hair tumbled down her back, so blonde it was almost white. Her cheeks were red with exertion, as she pushed a muslin sheet under the needle of a singer sewing machine, and worked the pedal rapidly with a bare foot.

“How do, Del?” the Madame called out softly. Delphine was averse to loud or sudden noises.

The girl stopped and wiped her brow with the back of her arm. “I have two dozen completed. Used the older sheets, and the worn ones.” She thumbed back at a pile of neatly folded body bags. “Should I use the satin, ma'am?”

“No, use the wool from the general store, and the rest of the pattern muslin. Save the satin for last.” Miranda told her she was doing a fine job, and backed out of the blue room.

She went down to the sun room, and watched as Lola and Lisbeth rode back into the stable yard. They tied the horses down and let themselves into the kitchen. The sun room door led out to the yard but had been barricaded, and Miranda instructed the cook to locked the kitchen door that opened into the garden as well.

“Did they take em?” Miranda asked the girls, as they poured themselves a cup of coffee each.

Lola tossed her blonde hair out of her face and laughed. “Hook, line, and sinker. Full house tonight.” She poured at least as much sugar and cream as there was coffee in her mug and sipped it delicately.

Lisbeth threw the last of some flyers down onto the table top and took a swig of her own coffee, black as the storm clouds outside. “Didn't think they'd chase us down. Shouldn't have taken someone who'd flirt to beat the band.” She eyed Lola darkly.

"If you're gonna lay a trap, you need some pretty bait. I did my part.” Lola said, flouncing back up to her room.

“That she did. I was just glad to have the chalk.” Lisbeth held her head a little higher but lowered her eyes. She knew the madame knew that they might be followed, so they'd each taken a sack of chalk dust, pouring it out on the road just before their enemies encampment. They'd distributed flyers offering a good time to all, and then ran home along the chalk lines, leaving large clouds of dust or rather, larger than usual. She was a little peeved, as- had it rained, their plan would've been for naught, and Lola had made it dangerous enough with her hi jinx and enticements.

Lisbeth knew in her heart that the Madames plan was executed flawlessly, and would get the men here. And that she had offered herself for the part of the messenger, believing she could out-ride any girl here, and more importantly, the Dark Corps boys. What she wasn't counting on was their numbers, and the fear that struck her when they made it clear they wanted to sample the brothels wares then and there. She was angry, but she let the anger subside. She knew who to be angry at and it wasn't the Madame. She looked over at her, and saw a face full of concern and misgivings.

“Thank you Liz. When this is all over, we'll see if we can't convert the store into an apothecary for you. Lord knows we shall all need healing after this is all over.”

Lisbeth swallowed the last of her coffee. “Let's get it over with then.”

 

_Hello, hello, hello, how low_

  
“Hello, hello, hello!” The Madame called gayly to her visitors. There were ten of them at first, shuffling into the Calico on that stormy afternoon. They were dressed similarly, long olive green dusters, dirty brown pants, and most of them a great deal taller and broader of chest up close. Miranda hoped against hope that her girls were up to the task. A few of them waited in the parlor with her- Lola, Molly, Penelope, dressed in simple shifts (for ease of movement) and waving flirtatiously. 

 Normally Miranda had soft candlelight and oil lamps lit. Her girls were all quite beautiful and there was no need to obscure their faces here. But today all the curtains were drawn, and the hallways were dimly lit, if at all. If their guests noticed, they said nothing. 

 

_With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here we are now, entertain us_

 

“Hello hello hello....” She purred as she strutted back as forth before their guests, sizing them up as if she were choosing one for herself. It was made obvious these were men who had been trained to follow orders. They leered and smacked their lips lasciviously, but made no move towards the girls. Miranda smiled. Like shooting fish in a barrel. She made her way to the oil lamp that lit the sign which indicated the Calico was open. She turned the key to extinguish the lamp.

 

_I feel stupid and contagious. Here we are now, entertain us_

 

“Oh you three look like you worked haaaard today. Doing.. well, whatever it is that you do over there.” She tapped one of them on the shoulder with her satin fan, and laughed. “Why don't you and you and you follow these ladies out to the back, where we have a nice heated tub waiting for each of you.” She smiled. The girls came forward, and grabbed the three largest men by the hand, leading them through the hall out to the back through the one remaining unlocked door. 

“The rest of you, why don't we play a little game! You all head upstairs, and if you see a handkerchief on the door, well- see if you like the perfume, and if so give a little knock and the lady within will delight and surprise you!”

_A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido_

 

Upstairs the girls sat in wait. Seven quiet thumps rang through the upstairs, Juns way of indicating the number of visitors, and they readied themselves. The rooms with hankies on the doors were spread out and around corners, as Miranda had instructed. The men separated, peering in the darkened upstairs halls for handkerchiefs. They turned corners and shouted and whooped when they found one. The girls steadied their nerves.

The first man turned a corner and walked down a long narrow hall. In the dim light, he spied the gleaming white hankie, and he quickly snatched it and held it to his face, taking a deep whiff. Lavender. He held his hand up to knock – once, twice – he fell face down through the door as it opened. Magdalene jumped out of the way. “Was I too much for you mister?” She dragged the body inside and locked the door. She stamped her boot three times.

The second opened a door and found Leona sitting in the soft golden glow of her boudoir. She had changed out of her usual menswear and into a yellow dress with ruffles. Her skin was dark and shining in the lamplight. The man pouted. “Awwww I didn't want a...” He was silenced as a heavy bronze statue hit his temple and he crumpled to the floor.

"She didn't want you either I imagine.” Matilda spat. The maid had hidden in Leonas room, being fearful of the plans and unsure about her ability to carry them out. Her hands were quaking wildly and she dropped the metal horse. Leona jumped up to help drag him in. She gave Matilda a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I owe you one, darlin.” She grabbed the rifle from behind the headboard and ran out to the hall in the event that any of the men escaped. She stamped her foot three times. Jun met her and they patrolled the hall, listening for sounds of distress.

Miranda sighed with relief as bodies thumped all along the second level, and the girls stamped out the code that meant they were safe. _One- two- three four five- six. And seven._ She whistled for Jun and Leona, and the three hurried to the rear to check on the girls in the bath. She whistled the tune they had learned and Molly and Lola popped their heads out out the first two rooms. Molly dragged a finger along her throat as she exited the stall, closing the door behind her. Miranda grimaced. 

Lola was shaking as she walked out, followed by Cookie, their cook and bodyguard. He had hidden in the stall earlier, and when he saw Miranda, held his hands together and made a motion like he was sleeping. Miranda patted his shoulder and took Lola by the hand.

“Shhh... there now.” She whispered.

"I'm fine. I'll be fine.” Lola said, straightening herself up. “Just need a shot of whiskey for my nerves.”

“Go on then, but be quiet.” She instructed Leona to resume her place up in the lookout, as she and Jun continued to where the outdoor shower, and Penelope was. She pulled her deringer from her pocket and whistled the tune, slowly.

Penelope wasn't in the bathhouse, they found as they turned the corner, but outside it. She was pacing and wringing her hands, nervous and twitchy. She was shaking her head and muttering under breath. Miranda hurried to her side.

“Can't do it. Can't do it. He won't let me in. He lit the lamp, I thought I dampened it. He doesn't want me to see him. And .. he almost saw the knife. He might have, it was under the towels. I can't I...” The man shouted from in the shower room, and Miranda put herself between the girl and the entrance.

The man burst through the wooden door, holding the lamp high in one hand and a Bowie knife in the other. He was buck naked and wet from the shower. “Girl if you don't get in here I'm gonna...” He stopped when he saw the crowd on the porch. “What in hell?” He lifted the knife towards Miranda, who had pulled the tiny pistol from her pocket and shot him square in the chest. He collapsed in the doorway of the shower room and Cookie moved forward to carry him to the back of the yard.

“That... was the smallest one I've ever seen.” Jun choked.

“It got the job done.” Miranda snapped, holding Penelope as she sobbed and shook.

“I wasn't talking about the gun.” Jun snickered.

 


	2. part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (The mood of this work is still the song Smells like Teen Spirit, but more the Tori Amos version.  
> The very last part is straight up Nirvana - chaos and noise)
> 
> A second round of Dark Corps baddies hit the brothel, and the brothel hits back.
> 
> Character death warning.

_I'm worse at what I do best  
And for this gift I feel blessed_

 

A single candle was lit in the large airy eating room in the back of the Calico. Miranda sat at the kitchen table with the girls, lit by the glow of the taper. Their faces were grave, as they were assessing their situation. They had all their bullets save one. The bathhouses were full of dirty or bloody water, and there was no time to drain and fill them them again. Eight men had been bound and piled in the passage that lead to the ravine. Two men lay dead. 

"Molly, I thought we agreed not to spill any blood." The Madame said, quietly. She was rubbing her left temple. A cup of tea grew cold before her. 

" _You_ did." Molly scoffed, holding a snifter of whiskey and swirling its contents slowly. 

"The circumstance called for it." The madame snapped. 

"Well so, Ma _dame_ , did mine!" Molly slammed her snifter down, breaking the delicate stem. Her shoulders fell. "I'm sorry ma'am. Didn't mean to do that."

Miranda placed a hand on the girls freckled shoulder. "You did what needed doing. I suppose at this point its kill or be killed. Why don't you all head up to your rooms and straighten up. I'll ring the bell when we're ready for the next wave."

The girls took leave of their weary madame. But Lisbeth stayed behind. She had her usual cup of coffee and was staring the Madame down. "You need to keep your shit together. They're taking their strength from you." She stated plainly, but with an edge to her voice. 

"I.. I don't think I can, Liz. I thought I was prepared but now I just..." She shook her head and allowed a tear to fall. "I run a god damned brothel, I'm no army commander." She wanted to break down fully but not before the judgmental eyes of the girl at the table. "And if I was a half decent Madame, I would have gotten you all the fuck out of Dodge the minute trouble started." 

"True." Lisbeth agreed, taking a sip of her coffee. "But you have also laid out a hellavu plan. We took out almost a dozen thugs with some hankies and a toy gun. And we're all alive and unscathed. Many of us still have our purity intact. So yes, you might not be a great Madame, in that sense, but you sure as hell are our commander and protectress. And this is not the time to quit that." Lisbeth said sternly. 

The Madame smiled and wiped her cheek. "Mama did not raise a quitter." 

The girls shuffled back in after awhile, and sat around the table once more, awaiting instructions. 

  
_Our little group has always been,_ _And always will until the end_

 

"My girls. My ladies." Miranda began, looking around the table at the group. Her tougher girls, Magdalene, Leona, Jun, Liz, Martine, Molly, and Lola looked determined. The fire in their eyes outshone the candle on the table. The smaller girls, the younger girls, and the maids, looked less sure but stood now unwavering. "I do not know how much danger the rest of the night will bring. But you have shown me that you are braver than you think, and capable of handling whatever comes our way. When the next group comes, we will proceed with plan B. Remember, keep them in the saloon. Serve only with the brown bottles, and do not take a drop no matter what. If you must, leave through the rooms, not the saloon door. The trap will be sprung when the last man enters the saloon."

 

 _Hello, hello, hello, how low_  
_Hello, hello, hello, how low_  
_Hello, hello, hello, how low_

  
"Hello, hello, hello!" The Madame called joyously, playing her part, though her smile was less bright this time. The lights were on the in the parlour and leading down the hall to the saloon but all of the other lamps were dimmed or out. There were twenty-two men, she counted twice, and they seemed more aggressive than the last group, poking around in the library, knocking things off shelves, and loudly muttering what plans they had for the girls. The Madame positioned herself before the entry to the stairs and guided them into the saloon, where Leona was bartending and Leigh was playing a tune on the piano, her hands still shaking slightly. The rest of the girls were sitting around the room, and called out flirtations as the men approached. One of the men branched off from the herd making its way down the hall as instructed, and tried to muscle past the Madame. 

"Everyone in the saloon now!" She called, placing a hand on his massive chest. 

"Shove off, whore, I need to take a piss." The man grunted. He was looking around her, around corners, into the dark. He was, Miranda believed, taking stock of the place.

"Now now. No need for such language!" She placed herself between the man and the entry to the stairwell. "There is a commode just off the saloon." She insisted. She looked up to see the glint of Juns Colt pistols, drawn but barely visible from her perch in an alcove near the top of the stairs. 

"Yer a feisty bitch. Now git." The man shoved her hard against the wall and made for the stairs. Miranda grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him, and he quickly turned and had her neck in his hand before she could utter a warning. "Aright, you wanna talk? Where are my men? They came through hours ago, and never came back."

Miranda sputtered and struggled against the mans grip, but it was no use. "I... don't know what y..."

"I'll ask you one more time..." The man threatened. He pulled her face close to his, and she felt a faint coming on. 

Jun was panicking. Miranda has instructed her not to fire until she'd set the trap in the salon, but now was being held captive by a man who was half bear in an olive green duster. He was in profile and too close to Miranda to allow her to shoot with confidence. She quickly felt her pants for projectiles, but all of them would likely bounce off the thick canvas fabric of the coat. _I need him to get closer_. Then she felt the wooden handle tucked into the belt.

 _Fuck it_ ,  Jun thought. "Hey!" She called out. "There up here, sleeping it off." 

The man turned to see who had yelled, and started up the stairs. He'd loosened his grip on the Madame slightly, and was dragging her with him. Lightning crashed, illuminating the stairwell, and Miranda saw the flash of metal with it... The hatchet struck just left of his sternum. He didn't fall right away, but he let Miranda loose. She pulled the hatchet from his chest and dove it in again and again til he fell backward in a heavy heap. Then she turned and ran down the hall to the saloon door, giving it three loud knocks and then backing up to slide a panel shut before it. Once it was attached, she removed the long thin Persian rug and slid another panel towards herself and away from the Saloon door. She heard the door open and then a yelp, as the first victim fell into the trap door. 

"Jun!" She screamed, and Jun was at her side, running around through the formal dining room and kitchen, to the pantry, where another panel was slid back to expose one of the rooms off the saloon. 

 

 _With the lights out, it's less dangerous._ _Here we are now, entertain us._ _I feel stupid and contagious._ _Here we are now, entertain us...._

 

Lisbeth had led two of them into a room and stood with one hand on her hip, and the other on the headboard, where a pistol was loaded and waiting. The two men, in varying states of undress, were confused at the two women that jumped through a hidden panel, and reached for weapons that they'd left in their dusters, out in the saloon. Liz got one before he reached the door, and the other tripped over him and sprawled over his partner. Jun knocked him out with the butt of a rifle and shoved him aside. Lisbeth kicked down the door to the adjacent room and aimed at another couple of men who were looming over tiny Leigh. She was still fully dressed, Lisbeth noted with relief, but was too terrified to move. 

"These two couldn't satisfy me, boys. What say you give it a shot?" Lisbeth drawled at the men, who had been fighting over who got to go first. The men stared at the slim brunette with their mouths agape, but before they could make a move she shot both. Leigh covered her eyes and cowered into the pillow. Lisbeth climbed over the downed men to hold the girl. Miranda could hear her cooing to Leigh as she braced herself for the carnage in the Saloon. 

"You did good, you did so good Leigh. You were so brave, my sweet girl." Lisbeth rocked her as tears streamed down her own cheeks. "But we're not done."

The Madame held back tears herself as she grabbed the rifle Jun was handing to her, and pulled the door to the saloon open. 

 

_A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido_

 

Bodies were everywhere, most of them Dark Corps boys. 

The sedative was quick acting, and close to half of them were laid out and foaming at the mouth after Leona poured a round of shots. A few had taken too deep a whiff of the girls perfume and fell faint. Leona was tying them as fast as she could. Lola was trying to help, but one of the conscious men caught on and threw her across the room. She was under a table, unconscious. Miranda swung the rifle around to hit him in the face with the stock, knocking him flat.

Molly had pulled out her delicate pearl handled knife and her wild swinging managed to catch the neck of one unlucky patron. She was now helping Leona buy cutting lengths of twine with which to bind them. One of the men had cornered Penelope and dragged her over to the billiard table. If he noticed his co workers dropping around him like felled trees, he didn't catch on, as he was more concerned with pretty Penelope. She caught hold of the eight ball and used it to bash his teeth in, and as he staggered backwards, spitting blood and ivory, she grabbed a cue and hit him on the head, the shoulders, again and again til he dropped. Jun stepped forward and gently wrestled the broken cue from her hands. 

The trap door caught five at least, but one had managed to hang on and was pulling himself out. Delphine tried to kick him, and he'd reached to grab an ankle. She made the mistake of trying to swing at him with her other foot and fell to the floor. The man was slipping and pulling her down with him. Magdalene dove to catch the arms of her dear friend, scrambling to wrest her from the mans grip. Then everyone dove forward to grab both Magdalene and Delphine, trying valiantly to prevent them from falling into the subterranean prison. 

Suddenly the wooden panel in the floor slid shut, catching the mans ribs and knocking the air from him. The panel slid back and then forward, hitting him once again, hard, and causing him to release his captive. He plummeted down the shaft with a scream. The girls pulled Delphine to safety and fell silent as the panel that closed off the saloon was pushed back, and the saloon door burst open. 

"Jamie!" Miranda cried, lifting herself from the floor and into the Blacksmiths arms. The bearded man held her, but was looking around in horror at the bodies being tied expertly. He noticed the welts around Mirandas neck and kissed her forehead, holding her tighter. Lisbeth had emerged with Leigh, but rushed to Lolas aid when she saw her unconscious. Jun was removing weapons and coins from the bodies and placing them in a wool sack. Some of the girls were holding each other and crying, some were just relieved that none of them were hurt. Jamie left briefly to drop the bullet proof shades in the front parlour and library windows. He had attached them weeks prior, and hoped his invention - thin strips of metal tied in a sheet - would keep Mirandas treasures safe in their absence. Leona rushed back up to the roof to resume her lookout. Cookie emerged from the back door to inform the Madame that the first wagon was emptied and ready for another load.  

 

 _And I forget just why I taste._ _Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile_

 

When a new group of "patrons" failed to arrive, Miranda called the girls together in the kitchen. Cookie poured tea and Miranda helped herself to a generous bit of whiskey with hers. Lisbeth and Lola were knocking back a shot of tequila each, and convinced Penelope, Matilda, and Leigh to try a little brandy at the very least. 

"This tastes terrible." Matilda spat, wiping her mouth. The older girls chuckled. "But I guess we should toast our victory?" 

"This was just a battle, and I don't intend to make any of you fight any more." Miranda said quietly. "You all fought like amazon warriors, and I couldn't be prouder of you. But when Conrad arrives with the wagon, I want you all on it. We're going somewhere safe."

"Is that a fact? There's somewhere safer than here? Where? The whole town is under attack! What are you taking us, down to Mexico?" Martine demanded. She was the oldest of the ladies, and usually very quiet, but also very observant. Her face was worn and angry, and she grasped her tin coffee mug with white knuckles. "We can keep at this. Take them a few at a time, let none leave. You may be able to run off and play at being domestic somewhere _safe,_ Miss Madame, but this is our only home. I don't know about the rest of you, but I aim to defend it."

The girls fell silent as the Madame pondered this, darkly. Outside, the thunder rumbled.  

Matilda took another swig and smiled. "This _is_ our home. You all are my family. And if I finish this drink, I can take twenny more, I think." Lisbeth put an arm around her and shook her gently. 

 

 _I found it hard, it's hard to find._ _Oh well, whatever, never mind_

 

Jamie broke the silence first, by clearing his throat. "The problem is... the cellar is good for hiding short term, but if they set the house on fire- if they find and close off the exit.." He trailed off, feeling Miranda tense up, under his arm. 

"Well, you aren't the boss, Miranda is. I shall do whatever she says." Molly piped up, belching softly. 

"He's right though, its a hiding space, but not for living in. How about this- if you want to go, Conrad will take you to the ranch. If not, you can stay here and.. and we'll fight." 

"Then we'll stay and fight!" Matilda hiccuped.  

"We'll stay and fight." Lisbeth nodded.

Miranda looked at Leigh and Penelope. They were staring down at the table, at their untouched drinks, still shell shocked from the evenings events. "There is no shame in wanting to go." She smiled at them. "My sweet girls. You did not sign on for this war. And I cannot insist you do any more than you already have." 

Leigh suddenly lifted the brandy and drank it in one go. "No." She said, coughing. "Someone has to clean up the blood." 

Penelope took only a sip but she set the glass down with resolve. "I'm not leaving." She blurted. "But I want a bigger stick." The girls laughed and patted her on the back, congratulating her on her use of the pool cue. The mood shifted, and the girls, only slightly tipsy, were suddenly full of the bravado that came from drinking spirits. They laughed and cajoled and made plans for the next wave of the Dark Corps bastards who dared show their faces in the Calico. 

Jamie and Miranda left the girls and walked about the house, looking for openings where they might be breeched, or places to hide a gunwoman. Jamie looked with dismay at the shelving with trinkets and statuary from all over the world. Miranda was proud of her collection, and hoarded items brought by foreign patrons, keeping most on display about the house. He watched as she lovingly stroked velvet wall coverings, and traced the pattern of a hanging tapestry with a finger. 

"I don't know how much of this you want to salvage." He said, pulling a small porcelain horse from a shelf. She had her back to him, and was pressing on the tapestry still. "Like I mentioned, they will probably resort to fire to smoke you all out. It's cowardly but... " 

Miranda turned from the tapestry, then suddenly grabbed it and ripped it from the wall. "I don't give two shits about any of this. I just want my girls alive at the end of it all." On the bare wall where the tapestry had hung, was yet another hidden cupboard, which she opened by sliding wooden pieces to the left, right, and center. The mahogany beams pushed back and opened to reveal a large stash of rifles, bullets, and bandoleros. Jamie dropped the horse in surprise and it crashed to the floor. 

"Ohhh!" Miranda cried. "That was my favorite horse!" She pouted. She turned and started pulling rifles from the cubbie. 

"I'm sorry I... just. Whoa." Jamie stammered. Every time he thought he knew everything about the house, she pulled another surprise on him. 

"Never mind that. Help me distribute these to the girls. Then we've got to help Cookie get the rest of the bodies in the wagon." 

 

 _Hello, hello, hello, how low_  
_Hello, hello, hello, how low_  
_Hello, hello, hello, how low_

  
_Hello_

_hello_

_h_ _ello_

 

_Even with every resident working, loading thirty men was no easy task. Miranda pulled Leona and Martine down from the crows nest and they all pushed, shoved and lifted muslin sacks onto Conrads wagon. Miranda could not hear anything beyond the rolling thunder, and had her mind on their dark but necessary errand. She sent Martine around to the front to shutter the general store, as Jamie and Cookie lifted the last body onto the second wagon. Cookie jumped into the seat and lead the vehicle away._

_She sent half the girls to barricade the gate to the yard, and the other half in to occupy their posts. Suddenly the church bell rang out, and Miranda, unsure of the reason for it, rushed the girls inside. Jamie grabbed his vaquero from its holster and swiveled around, in search of imminent danger. They heard shots and shouts in the street, and Jamie tried to pull the Madame back into the relative safety of the house. But she waited by the door...._

_Martine came stumbling around the corner, clutching her stomach. Miranda dragged her into the house and Jamie slid a huge Wardrobe in front of the back door, sealing them off. As he ran to block the front door, Miranda pulled Martines hand away from a wound on her stomach, it was glowing purple, and Martines face was a grotesque mask of pain. The madame screamed for Lisbeth and Magdalene, but they seemed woefully unprepared for the wound inflicted on their friend._

With the lights out, it's less dangerous  
Here we are now, entertain us  
I feel stupid and contagious  
Here we are now, entertain us   
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido

_Leona was cursing silently for not having been at the look out, and was loading bullet after bullet into the weapons the Madame had brought out. She cocked each gun, set it aside, and started on the next._

_Delphine was weeping and ripping strips of material into bandages. They were all trying not to touch the purple, which sizzled on her skin and blistered the unlucky girl who'd accidentally touched it._

_The Madame held Martine in her arms as the girls tried to find sources and make poultices and cleanse the unworldly purple substance. Martine was panting heavily, but her breaths grew further apart and her eyes, which had been clamped shut, opened and focused lazily on the candle at the table._

_"With all due respect ma'am, I would very much like to go to that safe house now." Martine exhaled. Then her eyes rolled back and she was gone._

_"MARTINE! MARTINE!" The madame cried, shaking her gently, then with vigor, to no avail. "No no no no no !" She cried, hugging the girl closely and rocking.  
_

  
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial

A denial, a denial, a denial,

a denial....

 

 


End file.
